Brassiere



Patented June 13, 1933,

HENRY SCHOTTENFELS, OF WEST NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY BRASSIERE Application filed May 23, 1932. Serial No. 612,934.

This invention relates to brassieres, and the invention has for its object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will yield readily in response to the movements of the body while avoiding any constriction of the flesh and any irritating or annoying pressures thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the connected straps are yieldable in practically any direction, with the back straps slidably coupled for free sliding movement with respect to one another and in such manner that the several parts of the device can move relatively and unrestrictedly in accompaniment with the natural movements of the body, and further with the shoulder straps slidably connected with the back straps for free play with respect thereto in response to the movements of the shoulders.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel hook or connector by means of which to couple the elastic back straps for free sliding movement, and it is an important characteristic of this hook coupling that it is made flat or substantially so to he in plan with the straps connected thereby and thus with the connected straps to rest fiatwise against the back of the wearer. The hook coupling is further made so as to facilitate the connection and disconnection of the back straps. I

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and relative arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanymg drawing, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts of the views,

and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brassiere 1 or breast pockets 10, 10 which may be of any suitable shape or design desired, and these pockets at their inner or adjacent ends 13 are suitably connected by elastic straps 11 and 12. The ends of the straps 11 and 12 are secured to the pockets by any suitable securing means such as by lines of stitching 1-1.

To each of the pockets, at its outer or remote end 15, is secured an elongated looplike back strap consisting of a single length of elastic material the opposite ends of which are secured by a line or lines of stitching 14. The opposite ends of each back strap are thus secured to the outer end of its pocket in spaced relation so as to provide upper and lower elastic spans 16 and 17 In applying the brassiere, these elongated loop-like elastic back straps, thus connected at the outer ends of the pockets, sides of the chest, at points below the arms for connection by means of a hook coupling 18 at the middle of the back.

According to an important feature of my improvement, each of the elongated loop-' like back straps is connected with the hook coupling 18 for free sliding movement. In the present embodiment, the hook coupling 18 is represented as comprising a substantially flat member having two elongated eyes 19 and 20 separated by a web 21. Sand eyes 19 and 20, as best shown in Fig. 2, are of greater length than the width of the back straps which pass through them. In the present embodiment, the eyes 19 and 20 differ in that the former is made so as to be completely surrounded by the material of the flat member, whereas the latter is made at its lower end with an opening 22 in communication with the outer space. Both of the eyes are of such transverse dimension with respect to the thickness of the material of the back straps that the back straps, when applied to the eyes, can have free sliding movement therein.

It will be manifest that the back strap which passes through the eye '19, must be applied thereto before at least one of its ends or terminals is sewed to the pockets. In this way, the coupling member is permanently mounted on one of the back straps. It Wlll are extended around the be noted that the web 21 is made with a longitudinally tapering edge 23 and a bump 23 which define the inner side of the eye 20, and that the general directon of the taper is towards the passage 22 so that the web narrows towards this passage. It will be further noted that adjacent said passage 22, the web is rounded at 24, exteriorly of the eye 20. Opposite the rounded portion 24, the coupling member is provided with a hook 25 by means of which the passage 22 is narrowed to such extent that it is merely equal to the thickness of the material of the back strap. By reason of this provision, the back strap for the eye 20 must be inserted and removed edgewise through the restricted passage 22; and the tapering and rounded portions 23 and 24 are provided in order to faeilitate the application and removal of the back strap edgewise through the restricted passage 22, by the fingers. The hump 23' is located substantially midway, the length of the eye 20 and it'may project into the eye far enough to contact with a back strap 00- eupying the eye. The purpose of the hump is to prevent accidental edgewise shifting of the strap over the hook 25 and hence outwardly through the passage 22, while permitting free sliding movement of the strap in the eye. In view of this special arrangement. the wearer of the article. by moving p her arms behind her and just below the shoulders can herself readily apply the back strap to the eye 20 or remove it therefrom. When the back strap has been inserted in the eye 20. the hump 23' and hook 25 effectually prevent accidental escape of the back strap edgewise through the restricted opening 22.

According to another feature of my invention. suitable shoulder straps 26 connect the pockets with the upper spans '16 of the back straps. Each of these shoulder straps is connected at one end to the upper edge of the pocket, and more particularly at a point as 27 substantially midway the length of the pocket. At its opposite end. each of the shoulder straps is provided with a loop 28 in which is slidably received the upper span 16 of its respective back strap.

The book coupling may be made of thin sheet metal, of tape, cloth or any suitable material and it will be recognized that by reason of the manner in which the two loop-like back straps are slidably connected therewith, this flat hook coupling will lie in plan with the back straps flatwise therewith against the back. of the wearer.

It is characteristic of this invention that the front and back straps yield readily in response to bending and twisting movements of the body and to the relative muscle-movements of the chest, back and shoulders, with the back strap sliding freely in the hook couphng, while the shoulder straps have free sliding movements upon the upper spans of the back straps.

While the invention has been illustrated and described with some degree of particularity, it will be recognized that in practice various changes and alterations may be made therein. It has been sought herein to illustrate only such an embodiment as will suffioe to exhibit the character of the invention. Reservation is, therefore, made to the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise alterin the arrangement of parts without departing rom the spirit or scope of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A brassiere having breast pockets connected at their inner ends by elastic m'eans, elastic back straps extending from the outer ends of the pockets, a hook coupling for the back straps in which the latter have free sliding engagement, and shoulder straps for the pockets having ends slidably engaged with the back straps.

2. A brassiere having breast pockets connected at their inner ends by elastic means, shoulder straps each having one end thereof attached to a pocket, elongated loop-like back straps extending from the outer ends of the pockets, sliding connections between the oposite ends ofthe shoulder straps and the and a hook coupling between the back straps,

having sliding connection thereback straps with.

3. A brassire having breast pockets connected at their inner ends by elastic means, elastic back straps extending from the outer ends of the pockets, shoulder straps each having one end thereof attached to a pocket, sliding connections between the opposite ends of the shoulder straps and back straps, and a hook coupling for the back straps, formed with loops in which the back straps have sliding engagement, said hook coupling being substantially flat to lie in plan with the back straps flatwise therewith against the back of the wearer.

4. A brassiere having breast pockets connected at their inner ends by elastic means, shoulder straps extending from the pockets, elongated loop-like back straps extending from the outer ends of the pockets and each having upper and lower spans, sliding connections between the shoulder straps and the upper spans of the back straps, and a hook coupling for the back straps, provided with eyes in which the back straps have independent sliding engagement.

5. In a brassiere, the combination with connected breast pockets and loop-like back straps connected with the pockets, of means for slidably connecting the back straps, comprising a-substantially fiat coupling member having individual eyes for the respective back straps, at least one of said eyes being open to provide for the manual detachment of the therewith engaged back strap, and meens'on the coupling engageable with the back strap to prevent accidental escape of the back strap through the opening,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, 1 have signed my na-me'hereto.

HENRY SCHOTTENFELS. 

